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An Ohio State blog for the Buckeye fan in all of us.Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:25:44 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Silver Bullet Points Gets Some R&Rhttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-does-some-fishing.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silver-bullet-points-does-some-fishing
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-does-some-fishing.html#commentsWed, 07 Nov 2012 12:54:06 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=27726It’s the bye week, and there’s only one song for the occasion. Well, two… something for everyone. Buckeye 411 Injury Update- Tuesday, Coach Meyer said that it was better than 50/50 for Etienne Sabino to return for the Wisconsin game, something that will add a much needed boost to the Ohio State linebacker corps. No […]

Injury Update- Tuesday, Coach Meyer said that it was better than 50/50 for Etienne Sabino to return for the Wisconsin game, something that will add a much needed boost to the Ohio State linebacker corps. No other injury news was given, so it’s safe to assume that Reid Fragel and Orhian Johnson are both OK following their leaving the Illinois game.

Freaking Flyer Miles- There’s no rest for the Buckeye coaching staff, who are traveling the nation reconnecting with current verbal commitments and starting to reach out to some new names. Joe will have an update later this afternoon, but we do know that the coaches are hitting Ohio harder than the presidential candidates as well as canvassing Texas, the DC area, and renewing connections in the south (Carolinas, Louisiana, Florida). They’re doing some bye week fishing, and with a much wider net than we’ve seen in the past… we’ve even got 2015 and 2016 offers starting to go out.

Stiffarm Trophy? In spite of the fact that his coach has been a bit closed mouth about it until recently, Braxton Miller has emerged as a candidate for the Heisman. He talked briefly with the media about this opportunity yesterday- check out The Sporting News’ coverage of the conversation.

Other Awards- Monday also saw Bri’onte Dunn named the B1G Freshman Of The Week for his work in the fourth quarter of the Illinois game. Defensively, Ryan Shazier was named B1G Player Of The Week for the second straight game… see Sammy Silverman’s tribute after the jump.

Yeah, But… Urban Meyer in the B1G teleconference on Tuesday said that the Illinois game wasn’t Ryan’s best as a Buckeye, and he left a lot of opportunities on the field. Remember, folks- he’s only a sophomore…

Meyer’s Musings- Coach also mentioned that there’s a two edged sword in dealing with bye weeks; it gives you the chance to get healthy, but it can also lead to a lack of focus and momentum. He spoke briefly about Reid Fragel as well, and said that it was the senior’s work that was evident in how well that he was playing- that when he didn’t apply and push himself, he was only “average”.

Rumblin’, Bumblin’, Fumbling? The fumbles were not an issue for Rod and Bri’onte, in Coach Meyer’s mind; they are something to work on, but not something to take away from their playing time. Additionally, much to the nightmares of B1G defensive coordinators, Coach Meyer said that the two back look that Ohio State thrived from on Saturday would be something that Ohio State would continue to utilize, given the production and development of all of his running back corps.

Getting Carrier-ed Away- As you know, Ohio State kicks off the season against Marquette in the “Carrier Classic” on Friday, and the stadium has finally started to come into shape. Hopefully they’ve got enough basketballs available for when Thompson swats one or two into the ocean.

Given the basketball attire for this weekend, it’s probably time to start discussing this year’s look for the football team. Word is starting to trickle out about the “special” uniforms that Ohio State will be wearing in The Game this year, and there’s mixed news. The pants/jerseys are pretty similar to what you’re seeing now, we’re hearing, which makes sense given the 2002 tribute theme. The helmet, though, is the same “silver bullet” look, but will be chromed, similar to what Nike/Ridell has been doing with other teams this season. Again, this is based on what folks who’ve had early access have shared with us.

While it’s been rather quiet this year about the new duds, that’s not atypical for what we’re seeing from other schools- Michigan State didn’t release their information until right before their game with Michigan, and other Nike programs (except for Oregon) have not been as forthcoming as in the past. Given that the “rivalry foil” shirts have already been for sale for a while now, it could be that we won’t see the big rollout like we’ve had in the past.

Part of the lack of a big announcement is due to this becoming common place- the “one time” thing (in Gene Smith’s words) is here to stay. Another part, in my opinion, comes from Nike’s now having the NFL contract, which limits their ability to get new merchandise out in the quantities that we’ve seen in previous years with the pro-combat gear; again, this is speculative, but our friends at the Buckeye Room have talked about how challenging it is to get authentic jerseys in this season.

Even though there’s some reason to be hopeful that this year’s edition might actually look like what we’re used to seeing the Buckeyes wear, there’s still tension regarding doing this thing every year. For some, the scarlet and gray is iconic- even “throwback” or “tributes” take away from that. This is particularly true on the helmets- these young men have worked all season to earn their buckeye leafs, and don’t have them in one of the biggest games of the year.

Personally, I can live with the once a year ‘opportunity’, although I wish that it wasn’t in “The Game”- anything that creates a distraction is not a good thing, in my opinion. I also appreciate at least the nominal attempts to keep it within the heritage of the program, and not some ridiculous clown attire.

But I still can’t understand why, for Ohio State and other programs, they’d want to be in bed this way with Nike, given that the shoe company is unabashedly supporting (some would say “buying”) a BCS foe- one that the Buckeyes may someday face again in the Rose Bowl or National Championship Game.

Ryan Mallett Bowl- Arkansas and Michigan will play in 2018 and 2019, and the Wolverines have added home games against BYU and Hawaii in 2015 and 2016. Hawaii, huh? Wow- don’t pull anything there…

Goin’ Bowlin’- Earlier this year, the SEC and B12 agreed in principal to a “Champions Bowl” between either the top two teams in their conferences or the next best thing (should the top teams be in the playoff). Today, both conferences announced that this matchup would take place in what’s currently the Sugar Bowl. This came as somewhat of a surprise, as there was speculation that Jerry Jones would be able to influence the powers that be to make his dome as a game of this magnitude.

Money Well Spent? The final numbers are all over the place, but by some estimates … carries the two… a crapload of money was spent on campaign ads this season. And just think, that’s only in Ohio! Here’s an interesting look at the history of this medium- That Goldwater fellow seems nice.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-does-some-fishing.html/feed0Today's The Perfect Time For Silver Bullet Pointshttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/todays-the-perfect-time-for-silver-bullet-points.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=todays-the-perfect-time-for-silver-bullet-points
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/todays-the-perfect-time-for-silver-bullet-points.html#commentsWed, 31 Oct 2012 11:54:42 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=27470This week’s soundtrack takes you back to 1978, well before vampires were sparkly and werewolves were dreamy. Happy All Hallows Eve, folks… Buckeye 411 Meaningful Awards- This week, we more about how well Ohio State’s players are being perceived nationally, as several more “just happy to be nominated” lists included Buckeyes. Jonathan Hankins is one […]

Meaningful Awards- This week, we more about how well Ohio State’s players are being perceived nationally, as several more “just happy to be nominated” lists included Buckeyes. Jonathan Hankins is one of 16 being considered for the Bednarik award, given to the nation’s best defensive player, while Roby is one of 15 being looked at for the Thorpe trophy as the nation’s top defensive back. Braxton is getting some national appreciation as well, and is one of the 16 folks up for the Maxwell award this season.

Walking Wounded? Coach Meyer said on Tuesday that Etienne Sabino will miss the game against Illinois, which isn’t a surprise to those of us paying attention- the additional two weeks will be helpful for his recovery for the last part of the season. Zach Domicone, though, may be back this week against the Illini, which will certainly help on special teams. Also, for the first week this season, Jordan Hall is not listed on the depth chart- speculation that he might seek a medical redshirt are pretty strong at this point.

Awards, Continued- The B1G recognized Ryan Shazier on Monday as it’s co-defensive player of the week. If nothing else, it’s good that he’s getting kudos for joining Pick Six University’s fraternity.

Meyer’s Musings- Coach agreed that Shazier played his best game of the season, and said Tuesday that he’d finally settled down, and is playing like a safety more than a linebacker. He talked candidly about the punt issues, have all been due to missed assignments, in spite of the fact that the coaching staff continues to simplify things. Coach Meyer said that he was “disappointed: in Braxton’s progression as a passer, because he knows he can be much better, with no ceiling on his abilities. He finished his time on the B1G chat by owning that the team is tired, beat up, and looking forward to a break next week, but are first and foremost focused on getting to 10-0.

One of the narratives that emerged from Saturday’s win over Penn State on various Nittany Lion fansites was that the game was “stolen” from the Lions by the officials. Reasons for this are myriad, and include crappy B1G officiating, a bias against PSU since they joined the conference, a conspiracy to keep PSU from winning the division due to the events that kept them in the news recently, the B1G’s desire to have an undefeated team in the national conversation at the end of the year, and the 2012 Mayan predictions. OK, I may have fabricated one of those.

I have several thoughts on this, which is good since I have an article to write today. First, I think it’s important to understand the mindset that might be at the heart of these feelings. In addition to the “normal” anger/confusion/frustration that comes with being a college fan who has things go against their team, Saturday night had much more meaning in Happy Valley than Ohio State fans might be able to understand. For them, this was THE GAME, the moment that everything would be OK, for this season and moving forward. It’s why it was their first sellout of the season, and why a tackle on the sidelines could have knocked over a number of the 100 or so recruits that Coach O’Brien brought in for the game.

Given the significance of the moment, and looking at it as an outsider who has a nominal understanding in Kubler-Ross’ theory, complaints about the officials’ response resemble folks in the stages of Denial and Anger… areas that Buckeye fans can relate to.

Even as recently as last week, had the Purdue game not ended as it did, part of our conversation (in addition to ‘Hope Braxton is OK’ and ‘Wow, we played like crap’) would have been the one-sided officiating. It was a topic of a lot of discussion anyway, and our team won… with a lot less on the line.

Part of the issue was that the “narrative” regarding the officiating was set early on by ESPN’s commentary; which was compounded by the fact that former Buckeye Chris Speilman was in the booth for the game. When you go back and watch the game, there are a number of judgement calls (’cause, that’s really what the heart of officiating comes down to) throughout the game, but only a few get commentary from the crew on the telecast.

There were at least five instances where the team talked about the Buckeyes “getting away” with holding, even on a few plays where that wasn’t the case (a face mask call, for instance), and no discussion of Penn State “getting away” with questionable play once, in spite of the fact that the Lions blocking Noah Spence, Jonathan Hankins, and John Simon had their hands full, literally, all night long. There was, to be fair, a generic “they’re really letting both teams play” (paraphrased) by Spielman early in the game.

That, in addition to one of the holding penalties that the officials did correctly call against Penn State being identified as a “questionable” call certainly stoked the fire for people trying to make sense of why their team might have not been as successful as they had hoped. Just so we’re clear- the penalty in question, seen below, is legitimate- ask Michigan’s longsnapper in the 2006 game.

Stay Off Our Bryce! Courtesy 11W

Speaking as a former long-snapper, this happens a lot more frequently than is called; and probably should against Ohio State, as Bryce Haynes has turned into a formidable tackler on the punt team. However, as Michael outlined on Tuesday, the ball was still in the punter’s hands, making it a penalty from the spot rather than at the end of the foul. It was not, as mentioned on the telecast, the defender protecting himself from a cut block; I haven’t yet figured out when one of the leading participants on the coverage team would be asked to block low on the person across the line from them.

As for me, I’ve decided to just let the PSU stuff fade out… nothing anyone says, on any message board or online article will take away the W from Ohio State. Biased officiating didn’t throw yet another Pick 6. Poor officiating didn’t break up a fake punt. Bad officiating didn’t account for 32 total yards rushing on 28 carries.

And, since I’ve got a lot of respect for a number of writers on Penn State sites and believe that some of their thoughts and feelings regarding the NCAA’s response this summer are well founded, I can work to understand where they’re coming from. Given all the stuff they’d gone through, their solace was (supposed) to be on the field… and when that fell apart (due to something that their team seemingly had no control over) it left them grasping for meaning/straws. I had a similar feeling, I believe, last year when we collapsed against Nebraska- I thought that the weight of it all finally caught up to the team.

If this is indeed part of their grieving process, they’ll hopefully soon move on to Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. And there’s a lot to take stock in if only some folks would take the chance to acknowledge it- they’ve got a good coach and some solid things to build on, in spite of the NCAA sanctions. And forward is really the only way to go… whatever that looks like.

Meet The New Boss- The biggest news out of Indianapolis on Tuesday was that the NCAA has approved the new protocols for rule enforcement and punitive response, including expectations that the Head Coach will be accountable for all of their support staff and assistant coaches. They’ve also broken out the “levels” of infraction from two (major and minor) to four (Incidental, Breach, Significant Breach, Severe Breach); the last of which includes multi-year post season bans, scholarship restrictions, and monetary fines. In other words, the “Unprecedented” Penn State Sanctions can be a part of the response from the NCAA in future situations. The expectations for Head Coaches are pretty well spelled out, but are very expansive– at the rate that many big time coaches are being paid, there is no excuse for not having a staff that’s fully compliant in the NCAA’s mind. They also gave the possibility of expanding the hearing committees from 10 to 24 persons; better to have more people involved in these levels of decisions, given the magnitude.

Ready, Set… Go? The new rules go into effect next year (get your cheatin’ in now!), although there’s a caveat that current things under investigation might not fall under the new guidelines-

Conduct breaches that occurred before Oct. 30, 2012 but are processed after Aug. 1, 2013 would be subject to the new process but would incur the more lenient of the two penalty structures (current and revised).

That sound you just heard was the collective sigh of relief from Coral Gables, Eugene, and Chapel Hill.

Yeah, But- A couple of folks have already weighed in on their perspective about the impact of these new rules, including the staff that represented Coach Tressel during his investigation process. Marsh feels that the steps are wise ones, and might streamline a historically difficult set of issues and processes; but Nebraska’s Jo Potuto sees there being a problem with having panels be so large and diverse- they may lose consistency without a dedicated group of people who are focused on these types of issues. Marsh, though, feels like a set group of penalties might streamline the issue as involved folks would be more inclined to “take their lumps” and begin to move forward rather than arguing and working toward a lesser penalty.

Seriously? Here’s the scariest thing you’ll see/read all day: Star Wars VII, by Disney. In one way, at least, it will be an upgrade at my house, though. Serious question- other than stuff done by Pixar, name a sequel done by Disney that was of any quality at all. I thought the new Tron movie was good, and Pirates 2/3 seemed OK for something that was cobbled together to make a profit after they saw how much cash the first one made. I’m just worried that entrusting the franchise to the folks that brought you every High School Musical will result in something like this (ht Will Leitch):

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/todays-the-perfect-time-for-silver-bullet-points.html/feed8Silver Bullet Points Fingershttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/sbp-points-fingers.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sbp-points-fingers
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/sbp-points-fingers.html#commentsWed, 18 Jul 2012 11:54:35 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=25058The quiet of this week around Buckeye Nation provides a moment of peace prior to August’s chaos of fall camp and Olympic dreams. It’s completely different than July of 2011… and I don’t hear many complaining. What I do hear, though, are the thunder and raging winds still swirling from last week’s Freeh Report. Both […]

The quiet of this week around Buckeye Nation provides a moment of peace prior to August’s chaos of fall camp and Olympic dreams. It’s completely different than July of 2011… and I don’t hear many complaining.

What I do hear, though, are the thunder and raging winds still swirling from last week’s Freeh Report. Both the national news coverage and the responses from Lion Faithful and PSU alums are clamoring- and, like what passes for dialogue these days, neither side are really listening to the other. Civility seems to be yet another casualty of this situation- although, it can be argued that this merely highlights the fact that it’s been dead for a long while.

So, this week’s SBP will take a look at some of the interesting articles and reflections on this almost indescribable set of circumstances. The view we’ll be taking will be a bit farther out- looking not at the particulars but at the “culture” that’s seems to have been on everyone’s mind lately… although, I’m not sure we’re looking deep enough.

If you’re tired of this story, I hope you’ll at least stick around for the commentary after the jump- there’s a lot to learn and think about from this, even if you’re not Nittany.

Everything about the crimes and the cover up is horrific, so please keep that in mind while you are celebrating Penn State’s coming reckoning. When you pop the champagne tonight in jubilation, try to remember that children were raped and grown men in charge of leading young men allowed it to happen. Then try to think of any reason why a human being should ever be happy that this could happen to a child, let alone children.
…
Don’t let football blind you, because that’s what Penn State did. They willingly let themselves lose sight of of what actually happened to these children, and then somehow found a way to ignore it. Hate Penn State for what happened here all you want, but don’t forget why you feel the way you do. And it should have nothing to do with football.

Gregg being Gregg– CBS’ Doyel made a simple request of Penn State fans/staff, just say you’re sorry. Of course, since Gregg is somewhat of a hack at times (taking easy shots and controversial positions in order to gain pageviews, IMHO), the response on twitter was pretty well aimed-

Not the NCAA- While the folks from Indianapolis were discussing “next steps” (more later), the big issue to keep an eye on is the matter of the Department of Education’s investigation into Clery Act issues. Deadspin highlights that, in addition to not reporting the issues at the heart of the Sandusky situation, the University has actually been out of compliance of federal guidelines for twenty years. I’ve speculated that heavy DoE sanctions might not be forthcoming, as PSU didn’t appear to be a “repeat offender” (ie- warned previously). However, this may change things a bit.

Shunning Is Worse Than Death- When pundits look to compare PSU to the other “scandals” in the past forty years, particular attention is paid to SMU and the “death penalty”. However, one school of thought holds that another option might actually be worse for the university- removal from the NCAA altogether. This would cripple the entire athletic department… although not having football revenue might also do the same thing.

I’m tired of college presidents acting like they’re powerless when it comes to major college sports.

They can block a football playoff for 100 years but they can’t control their coaches? Even if they make 10 or 20 percent of what their football coach makes, presidents have to stop being afraid of their employees. Do your jobs. Run your colleges. Don’t be your coach’s pal, or worse, his lackey. Be his boss.

The greatest message in this is to university leadership. Don’t be afraid to govern your sports. I’m not even sure university presidents should go to football games. If you’re a fan, can you be a leader?

Yahoo!’s Dan Wetzel took this line of thinking one step further, and held that Spanier’s actions actually revealed the inherit hypocrisy within the NCAA. Pointing to Spanier’s position on key NCAA committees, as well as his decision to disassociate a possible agent from interacting with anyone related to the University after concerns were raised regarding improper benefits, Wetzel said that Spanier’s decision to turn the Sandusky situation into an attempt to minimize bad publicity only highlights that the organization and it’s members are more concerned about economic status quo than they are caring for young adults.

Again, Spanier’s time in court is yet to come, and I can’t begin to imagine the pressure that someone in his position had to deal with on a daily basis as a part of his job. That being said, it’s horrifying that someone can find themselves in a position where they end up sacrificing the integrity of their institution, not to mention the harm that came to children due to the choices made here.

They say that absolute power corrupts absolutely- and the influence that a fan base and television revenue and media coverage and merchandise deals can bring to an institution brings an awful lot of power with it. Combine that with a legacy that includes a “cult of personality” around one person, and it’s easy to see why so many pointed to the Coach’s office as housing the real decision making power on campus. And when you consider that there were chances to make changes, and that these were passed over, you realize how insidious this whole situation is.

Last weekend, my 7 hour drive from Flagstaff to LA turned into a 13 hour one- so I’ve had a lot of time to think about this situation. Those of you who’ve been reading this summer also know that I’ve been processing what the “purpose” of athletics is in a Higher Education context and community. The Freeh Report highlighted even more some of my confusion and concern for the state of affairs where we find ourselves.

Or, as Mark Emmert put it in the interview we posted above, ” This is as systemic a cultural problem as it is a football problem.”

Before this goes any further, let’s just go ahead and get this out of the way:

So, now that we know that I’m a someone who prefers an anarcho-syndicalist communeand who’s attacking the very fabric of America, perhaps now we can start thinking a bit deeper.

See, you’re reading this either because a) you’re related to me or b) you care about college sport- Ohio State sports, most likely. Part of your enjoyment in life is to follow the comings and goings, the on field and off field choices of 17-23 year olds (or younger, if you’re a recruiting nut) who attend THE University in Ohio. Perhaps you attended there, perhaps you lived in the state and chose to follow the team as a part of the festival that happens in autumn. You’re a fan.

More than likely tBBC isn’t your only stop for “news”- you check out the rest of the BBN sites, you participate in the forums at Buckeye Planet, you scroll through facebook and twitter or pop in at Eleven Warrior or even (shudder) ESPN to find out what’s going on with Ohio State’s football (or other sports) program.

And, if you’re like me, you very rarely think about things that are Scarlet and Gray but not directly related to that program. That’s why we get so frustrated with Storm Klein or Jake Stoneburner have legal issues, why we get so shocked when coaches forget to forward email. It breaks our narrative, and makes us think about some of the things in the world that we turn to sports to distract us from- crime, corruption, or just the boredom that comes with normalcy.

Again, this is typical- we want a distraction, we want entertainment, we want to be a part of something bigger than us. Take a look at this great Deadspin article that outlines how a specific PSU fan “bought in”… it could be written, in many ways, about affinity development for any major program in the nation.

But it’s also part of the problem- we care about what’s going on in the athletic department and give little to no thought about the thousands of other young adults who are at the University for it’s created purpose- a life long education. We’ve said, in effect, that sports are more important to us than everything else that happens at the school. There aren’t a ton of networks out there for debate competitions or amazing Mathletes.

Granted, we’re not coaches or vice presidents or presidents who are all charged with continuing to play by all of the rules that exist; in the game, from the NCAA, within the University, and in society at large. I also believe strongly that most people would either report what they’d seen and work toward resolution, even if it took a bit to get over the shock and find out the correct protocol. The ability to allow what happened with Jerry Sandusky to continue takes a significant level disconnect from a person’s values… but those disconnects come easier and easier the more often they occur.

While we’re not in the positions that Spanier/Curley/Schultz/Paterno were in during this mess, the power that they had was power that people like us had given them- either by selection to and support of their positions, or by our inability or unwillingness to think outside of the boxes we’d placed them in. People make compromises as long as others will allow them to do so.

And, as long as our culture is one that doesn’t focus on the bigger picture of the educational mission of a University, we shouldn’t be surprised when other aspects of that institution begin to be more important.

Let me be clear- I don’t think that this is totally an athletics issue. For years, there’s been debate at the large research institutions regarding “purpose”- is it publications/research/outside funding where most classes are taught by GAs while tenured faculty spend time in libraries or labs, or is it education for the undergraduates? The “focus” of the American higher education model is something that’s discussed (to no avail) by people much smarter than I.

But, while it’s certainly not solely an athletics issue, it’s athletics where we seem to make the most consistent compromises. Universities continue to look for ways to include persons who could not otherwise be in their communities; but only if they have a 42 inch vertical or can spike a ball off of a flat-footed start.

And, as fans, we don’t have a problem with this. Because sports is what matters…

That’s why I also found myself resonating with this article from Off-Tackle Empire; the Penn State situation is a simple one that’s as old as the stars- people put money ahead of their other values. And, thanks to you and I, college sports is big money. Also? Water is wet. FYI.

So, while we wring our hands at the “tragedy” in Happy Valley and want to point fingers at “those” people, we do so while missing some other “issues” of similar ilk.

Those things are not wrong- please understand that’s not my intent. Heck, I just bought a house that I wish had a party deck and TVs near the hot tub. But those two small examples highlight the larger problem, and make it easier to understand how people who could otherwise be considered to be decent human beings can make horrible, tragic decisions.

And how our nation’s infatuation reinforced those decisions.

Last night, as a precursor to this mornings article, I tweeted a quote from Bob Marley that I thought encapsulated my 13 hour reflections on this, and I’ll close with it-

Before you start pointing fingers, be sure your hands are clean.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/sbp-points-fingers.html/feed5Silver Bullet Points To The Raftershttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-to-the-rafters.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silver-bullet-points-to-the-rafters
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-to-the-rafters.html#commentsWed, 18 Jan 2012 12:54:01 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=21289It’s hump day, which means the mid-week linkage and notes from around the world of college sports. Buckeye 411 Dennis Hopson’s number hasn’t been retired by Ohio State. As someone who grew up in Ohio during his reign, I find that unbelievable… almost unforgivable. So, like a lot of other folks, I’m 100% behind the […]

]]>It’s hump day, which means the mid-week linkage and notes from around the world of college sports.

Flying High, As Always

Buckeye 411

Dennis Hopson’s number hasn’t been retired by Ohio State. As someone who grew up in Ohio during his reign, I find that unbelievable… almost unforgivable. So, like a lot of other folks, I’m 100% behind the #Hop2theRafters movement to let OSU know it’s time for jersey number 32 to be honored… you can get involved, too: http://www.change.org/petitions/retire-32

Mark your calendars- Right now, Ohio State’s spring practice is set to begin March 28. The spring game will be played April 21 at 1:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. While Urban is out recruiting the next wave of Buckeye legends, the fact of the matter is that the team might look very very different come March 28- particularly if February goes as has been prophesied.

Not Just Recruiting Players- Coach Meyer has an open coaching position as well, and the OZone’s Brandon Castel has a look at the candidates. My three “favorites”:

Look Who’s Got A New Hammer– In all the news about renewable scholarships and cost of living stipends, the NCAA’s newest model for sanctioning was released as well. Here’s the actual matrix, which really appears to hit programs hard. Of course, there will always be inconsistencies as they try to determine the “violation level”… but I can say that I’m glad that OSU went through the process prior to this being instated (and I’d be nervous as all get out if I was a fan of Da’ U). For instance, here’s what Southern Cal received and what they would have gotten under the new guidelines- click through at your own peril.

And Lastly… from the “I’m a lot more excited about this than I really should be” department- Guess what comes out right before my birthday? Although, as a Buckeye fan, I wish they’d have chosen a better topic for the first single…

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-to-the-rafters.html/feed2Sugar Bowl Rosterhttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/sugar-bowl-roster.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sugar-bowl-roster
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/sugar-bowl-roster.html#commentsMon, 27 Dec 2010 23:28:49 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=11469Mali note: This was written on Sunday night, right before the hamster in my folk’s dial up internet died- as such it didn’t get published. If you haven’t heard this, then it’s news to you. Reports tonight (yesterday night) are indicating that the members of the Ohio State football team who were suspended on Thursday […]

It sounds as if this was the plan, but that Coach Tressel chose to allow the team’s seniors to make the final decision at this evening’s meeting following the holiday break. As such, Ohio State will be at full strength in New Orleans.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/sugar-bowl-roster.html/feed2Why is Pryor playing in the Sugar Bowl?http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/why-is-pryor-playing-the-sugar-bowl.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-is-pryor-playing-the-sugar-bowl
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/why-is-pryor-playing-the-sugar-bowl.html#commentsFri, 24 Dec 2010 03:30:56 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=11363The stink from this is going to be on the airwaves for months to come. Five Buckeyes selling their championship gear to earn money – albeit to help their parents out – are allowed to play in a big bowl game and serve their suspensions the next year. The argument is going to go something […]

The stink from this is going to be on the airwaves for months to come. Five Buckeyes selling their championship gear to earn money – albeit to help their parents out – are allowed to play in a big bowl game and serve their suspensions the next year. The argument is going to go something like this,

Clearly the Buckeyes are more interested in bowl wins than punishing their student athletes!

Certainly seems like a valid argument. The Buckeyes look like they are trading the opportunity to play their guys now for losing them for 5, mostly meaningless games next year.

Consider who the Buckeyes are playing:

Akron: September 3rd

Toledo: September 10th

at Miami (FL): September 17th

Colorado: September 24th

Michigan State: October 1st

Three of those teams stand out. The game at Miami (FL) might not be so bad, especially since they’ll have to deal with having yet another new coach, but they can still play football. Colorado…well, they’re Colorado. But we follow that up with a Michigan State team that I’m certain would love to come into the Shoe and pound us for the 2006 (38-7) and 2008 (45-7) home losses they suffered to us.

But here’s my point. The Buckeyes chose to punish these guys before the NCAA stepped in. What punishment did Ohio State choose?

The five players would sit out the Sugar Bowl.

Ohio State recognized the failure in compliance with NCAA bylaws and punished their players by preventing them from playing the next game – a game they worked hard all season to earn. A game I’m certain they all desperately want to play.

The NCAA, in their infinite wisdom, took a look at this decision and formed an opinion of their own. Instead of punishing them for the Bowl Game, the NCAA decided to let them play the Sugar Bowl but punished them for the next season instead. Now why would they do that? Wouldn’t the NCAA rather choose “all of the above”, if not the immediate punishment?

You may recall a set of articles written by MaliBuckeye on the subject of the BCS bowl system. Allow me to refresh your memory:

This implies one very obvious, ugly answer. The Sugar Bowl, having invested millions of dollars already on this matchup between Ohio State and Arkansas, put pressure on the NCAA to not punish the OSU players for this bowl game. That action preserves the Sugar Bowl’s investment in the game, and even goes above and beyond by giving the game lots of free publicity to draw more viewership.

Look, it’s bad enough that a bunch of student athletes unknowingly committed NCAA violations. It’s great that the university found out about what was going on, moved quickly through the investigation, and dropped what they viewed as an appropriate punishment as fast as possible. It’s even better that the players were willing to come forward and be honest about all of this, which sped the whole process along. That’s a huge victory for the OSU compliance office, even if the entire problem was caused by their failure in understanding the bylaw rules the first time around. Clearly OSU compliance is teaching the student athletes what they need to know to remain eligible.

However, the players still committed violations. By NCAA rules they should be declared ineligible until such time that they’ve repaid the money, plus whatever additional time the NCAA sees fit. The fact that the NCAA is willing to bend the rules for a bowl game is nothing more than a disgusting sign of the times.

In case you read that wrong, I am much happier sitting Pryor and friends out for the bowl game than letting them play and force them to sit out next season. Ineligible players should be ineligible no matter what the circumstances.

NCAA policy allows suspending withholding penalties for a championship or bowl game if it was reasonable at the time the student-athletes were not aware they were committing violations, along with considering the specific circumstances of each situation. In addition, there must not be any competitive advantage related to the violations, and the student-athletes must have eligibility remaining.

The policy for suspending withholding conditions for bowl games or NCAA championship competition recognizes the unique opportunity these events provide at the end of a season, and they are evaluated differently from a withholding perspective. In this instance, the facts are consistent with the established policy, [NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs, Kevin] Lennon said.

It’s great that the NCAA has the student-athletes in mind when establishing their rules. Clearly they care about the “unique opportunity” to play in a bowl game. However, if the violations don’t involve a competitive advantage how is there not a withholding clause for regular season games as well? Clearly by this argument the NCAA should not hand down suspensions for any violation that doesn’t involve a player who gained a competitive advantage.

There’s only one difference between a bowl game and a regular season game – the amount of money they get from it. Whether you buy it or not, it seems as if the NCAA has created itself a “wiggle room clause” that allows it to decide not to suspend players if the organization can benefit from it monetarily. The NCAA doesn’t give a rats behind about the student athletes, they care only about lining their pocket books. In the comments, feel free to name your favorite example of an NCAA screw job of a player because the NCAA decided to follow the letter of their precious bylaws instead of the intent they were written. Mine might be the unfortunate lower division football player who redshirted his first year only to have the football program get canceled. When he tried to switch to basketball, the basketball team said they didn’t want him. Upon transferring to another program to play basketball, the NCAA refused to grant him a waiver forcing him to sit out an additional year.

Moving on, Ohio State is going to appeal the decision as passed down by the NCAA. It will be interesting to see what comes of that appeal, but I already have a guess at how this is all going to work out.

The appeal will be decided after the Sugar Bowl.

The NCAA will follow the letter of the law rather than it’s spirit, choosing to penalize them for 5 games “because the books say so”, even if the mistake was made with the best of intentions.

Pryor, Herron and Posey will bail for the NFL – seriously, why stick around to play only a half a season when you can bolt for the money? Heck, they might not even have to pay the money to charity if the cards get played right. Why repay if you’re not going to play another college down anyway?

The NCAA will quickly forget that they completely and utterly failed to enforce their rules – what punishment did the violators suffer, exactly?

The NCAA will happily continue to count their cashy-moneys.

If the NCAA is lucky, the appeals decision will take until after the NFL draft to come through. The OSU players will be on the fence until the last moment, and ultimately decide to risk it. That’s if the NCAA is lucky. If Pryor, Posey, Herron and Adams are smart – and the more I learn, the more intelligent I think they really are – they are going to hop ship for the NFL just as fast as they can.

This is a disaster of monumental proportions, and it just goes to show the truth of a particular old saying

The worst of consequences can happen from the best of intentions

Too bad the NCAA will never have to suffer the consequences of their ignorant actions.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/why-is-pryor-playing-the-sugar-bowl.html/feed7Where there's smoke…http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ruh-roh.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ruh-roh
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ruh-roh.html#commentsMon, 16 Nov 2009 18:19:19 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=3458Well, seems as if there was something to those reports about Mich1gAAn’s inability to monitor practice time after all. From the Detroit News: According to an audit, obtained by The Detroit News, the football staff did not submit the practice logs for the 2008 season as required by the university athletic department, which uses the […]

According to an audit, obtained by The Detroit News, the football staff did not submit the practice logs for the 2008 season as required by the university athletic department, which uses the logs to remain in compliance with NCAA rules. The team filed its out-of-season reports after the audit was completed and, as of July, the football staff had still not filed its 2008 monthly logs.

Tate? When you watch all that film, be sure to write it down and make sure that it gets in the mail. Your coaches don’t seem to have the ability to do so.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ruh-roh.html/feed8Michigan embarrassed again. Dear God, don't let this stop…..http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/michigan-fucks-up-again-dear-god-dont-let-this-stop.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=michigan-fucks-up-again-dear-god-dont-let-this-stop
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/michigan-fucks-up-again-dear-god-dont-let-this-stop.html#commentsWed, 02 Sep 2009 20:23:34 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=2233ESPN just announced that Rich Rodriquez has been linked to a booster that is banned by the NCAA. COLUMBIA, S.C. — One of the business partners involved in the real estate venture at the root of a federal lawsuit against Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is an accused felon and banned Clemson University booster. The partner, […]

COLUMBIA, S.C. — One of the business partners involved in the real estate venture at the root of a federal lawsuit against Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is an accused felon and banned Clemson University booster.

The partner, Clegg Lamar Greene of Clemson, S.C., was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with multiple counts of breach of trust.

[snip]

When he partnered up with Rodriguez in September 2007, Greene had already been banned twice from being a booster at Clemson. NCAA investigators accused Greene in 2000 of providing a $1,300 loan and use of his boat to two Clemson recruits.

Coming up for the rest of the week, Brian at MGoBlog will write six dissertations about how “these are not the droids you are looking for.”

It’s comical, in my opinion.

Remember the good old days, when Michigan bloggers only had to freak out about a report that said RichRod would be platooning three QBs against Western Michigan? That was four days ago.

Oh, the times, they are a-changin’.

———–

Oh, and as you hear the whiny excuses over the next few days, keep this in mind…Rodriquez partnered himself with the guy BEFORE he was the head coach at Michigan. Yes, you’ll hear that excuse. Well, why the hell didn’t Bill Martin actually investigate who RichRod was before hiring the guy?

Michigan bloggers freaked out when they learned that their new stud QB was actually a coke dealer and declared “how DARE you ask us to investigate his past before we signed him to play at UM?”

That excuse isn’t going to fly with the guy that makes 2 million a year of Michigan money.

Bottom line – Michigan hired a guy who had partnered up with a felon that had been TOLD not to have contact with NCAA coaches and/or players. That’s at best stupid, at worst, unethical and potentially criminal.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/michigan-fucks-up-again-dear-god-dont-let-this-stop.html/feed3What's that smell???http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/whats-that-smell.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-that-smell
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/whats-that-smell.html#commentsMon, 31 Aug 2009 18:50:52 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=2135Yesterday I discussed MGoBlog and how they made their blog “disappear” for two full days after the loss to Appalachian State. It was very amateurish and very cowardly, and we all had a good laugh at Michigan’s expense. I also stated that the recent revelations about Michigan cheating in order to get their three solid […]

]]>Yesterday I discussed MGoBlog and how they made their blog “disappear” for two full days after the loss to Appalachian State. It was very amateurish and very cowardly, and we all had a good laugh at Michigan’s expense.

I also stated that the recent revelations about Michigan cheating in order to get their three solid wins last year would probably make Brian and MGoBlog want to run back into their hole again.

One thing I didn’t discuss is that when MGo finally returned to the blogosphere after Appalachian State, their banner was graced with a picture of a crying baby. Who knew that a crying baby would be their new head coach???

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/whats-that-smell.html/feed0MGoBlog ready to "disappear" again….http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/michigan-football/mgoblog-ready-to-disappear-again.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mgoblog-ready-to-disappear-again
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/michigan-football/mgoblog-ready-to-disappear-again.html#commentsSun, 30 Aug 2009 13:40:14 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=2094Immediately following the 2007 loss to Appalachian State, the most prominent Michigan blog, MGoBlog did the right thing and they took their lumps like men. Oh, wait…..no they didnt. They shut down the site for two full days, much like what you’d expect out of complete cowards. Expect similar behavior very very soon…..breaking news has […]

The University of Michigan football team consistently has violated NCAA rules governing off-season workouts, in-season demands on players and mandatory summer activities under coach Rich Rodriguez, numerous players told the Free Press.

Players on the 2008 and 2009 teams described training and practice sessions that far exceeded limits set by the NCAA, which governs college athletics. The restrictions are designed to protect players’ well-being, ensure adequate study time and prevent schools from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.

Let’s get this straight…players from LAST year’s team were breaking rules that are designed to prevent schools from gaining an unfair advantage? So, they cheated and still finished 3-9?

Eleven Warriors tweets that San Diego State University was put on a 2-year probation after similar allegations were brought to light….and with actual CURRENT players making these allegations, it’s not looking pretty for Michigan to get out of this one unscathed.

Now granted, practicing on Sundays is not really up to speed with serious misconduct….like brokering a cocaine deal when you don’t have cocaine….but it’s the stuff that the NCAA does take action on. This one is not going to get swept under the rug soon.

Fortunately for Buckeye fans, this one will keep us entertained for a long time.

Unfortunately for Buckeye fans, we won’t likely get to laugh at Rodriquez for years to come, because if this pans out the way we think it will, the Michigan boosters will liekly run him out on a rail. After all, they didn’t pony up 4 million dollars to West Virginia to buy a 3-9 coach who gets their team banned from postseason.